Posthumous albums have a big chance of not feeling original, like how fans want it to feel. Without the original artist to provide their unique sound to the finished product, the album could lose all correlation with the artist. 

However, this was not the case with the late Mac Miller’s final project.

Since Miller’s untimely and unfortunate death on Sep 7, 2018, fans were left to grieve and wonder if there was any music in the works before his passing. Miller was working on an album, but was not able to complete it before his death. 

The album, Circles, was finished with collaborator Jon Brion along with many other contributors. They left the album with a sense of completion and wholeness. Miller shines through on this album by switching from his typical “rap” sound and showing off his alternative rock skills. The outcome of this album is just astounding due to the fact that Jon had to take the helm of finishing most the album, while still keeping that same Mac Miller feel to his new style of music. 

The unique change in pace by Miller on this album is what truly makes it a masterpiece. This piece of art will strap you in and hold onto you through all the emotions Miller passes through. He continues to be brutally honest about himself, his demons, his flaws, and what he wanted to change about himself, while also keeping happy moments with upbeat catchy hooks. 

Miller takes the listener on a journey through the ups and downs, from the slow intro on the title track, “Circles”, to the trippy synth type beat that completely changes the pace of the whole project in “Blue World.” The rollercoaster of emotions really causes the listener to take a step back and not only admire the work of Miller and his emotions, but to reflect on themself and understand their own emotions. 

Overall, I feel that this album deserves some serious recognition for the artist and the collaborators that helped make it possible. It’s incredible how Miller left an album that is such a unique change in pace for him and the collaborators were still able to complete it to perfection. The ups and downs of this magnificent piece of art keeps the listener drawn in and ultimately leaves the fan base with a sense of completion to the album. Miller and all the collaborators that made this project possible truly did an amazing job.